Changes
by Sapphire Dragons
Summary: Rating just in case. Seto sorts out his thoughts via paper. SetoJoey. SAI [complete]


Generally, I do not act like a hapless child. I know where I'm going in

life, and I know how to achieve what I want. But I will not lie to

myself. There have been instances, namely around my brother and a stupid

blonde pup, where I have been downright childish.

Granted, Mokuba is a child, and therefore deserves a life with some...

playful excursions. However, there does NOT mean that I want Yugi and

his little group of friends witnessing my weakness. (Mokuba, naturally)

Why he likes them, I do not know, but he does need friends... friends

of a more _intelligent_ sort.

Now this is where Wheeler came in. Just like a puppy, with his floppy

hair, and copper eyes. I thought he was much like a dog in many ways:

loyal to his friends, quick to growl at anything, deer in headlights look

when called on, but mostly the copied intelligence, only knowing what

he is told.

At least that's what I thought until I noticed that he had maintained

the second highest grade in the school. (Behind me, of course) What a

shock to me, to find out my rival (Wasn't Yugi my rival?) was creeping up

on me, his grades almost as good as mine own. He was obviously an

intellectual individual, a fact I had missed.

After that, my childish side started coming out more often. When we

fought, (nearly ever class period, mind you) I would throw elementary

insults, and I would find him being the better of us.

I found myself at the park one afternoon, pondering, of all things,

_him_. I don't like not being able to figure things out, and he was an

enigma that needed solving. I wanted to know why he did this to me, how

everytime I was around him my demeanor changed. I let down my guard, showed

him a side of me no one else saw.

Things progressed like this until, towards the end of the year, I found

myself looking forward to our meetings. Our little skirmishes.

I never even noticed the change between us, but Yugi did. One day,

during a school project, he walked in on us having a civil conversation.

(Might I add quite interesting as well?) He just stopped and stared, then

rushed off, presumably to tell the rest of his little group. Joey (by

that time I was using his given name) and I just looked at each other

and shrugged.

Weeks later, I discovered that he had invited me to his 18th birthday

party. I was shocked, (what had I done to deserve that?) but Mokuba was

overjoyed. According to him: 'Oh my gosh, Seto, you're **_finally_** making

friends!' (Insert Mokuba 'fainting' and me with a giant sweatdrop) Then

to make matters worse, he goes off and says something along the lines

of: And what's with the relationship between you and Joey?

Now, normally I would have chewed his head of for even suggesting that

something was going on between us, but seeing as how I had been

wondering that exact same thing, I stayed quiet. Let's just say I didn't like

the smirk on Mokuba's face.

I got the third degree from my sweet, innocent little brother. (Sweet

and innocent indeed... Yugi's told me some things about Mokuba and that

Brit, Ryou) by the time an hour of said third degree had gone by (with

me steadfastly refusing to answer questions), I was ready to strangle

my brother's scrawny neck.

Mokuba cornered Joey the next day before school. I managed to slip away

unnoticed, wanting to avoid the encounter. However, I must say I did

feel bad for the older Wheeler. To be tortured by the wrath of a

matchmaking Mokuba is one of the worst things on Earth.

Now see, the bad thing is that I had pleaded with Mokuba not to talk to

him. Pleaded to **_my own brother!!! _**What's worse is that he's a good 5

years younger than I am. Now how pathetic is that? (No, don't answer

that.)

It looked like it was time for Joey and me to have a little chat. While

working on a school project the next day, I casually brought up the

subject of my brother. Joey looked distinctly uncomfortable.

As I asked what Mokuba had said to him, he turned his head sharply.

Still, I couldn't help seeing how quickly his face colored.

'He... he told me something, but I don't believe it's true.'

His voice had been choked, and a crystal tear slid down his cheek.

'What did he say?' My voice was surprisingly gentle. (Me, gentle?)

'He said... he said you liked me, as more than a friend...' (Insert my

raised eyebrow here) 'And see, I couldn't bear it if it wasn't true.'

As a reflex, my hand shot out and grabbed his arm. He tried to yank

away, but he was no match for me.

'Is it true?'

'What? What Mokuba said?'

'No...' I wondered if I should go on. 'You like me?'

He looked down, face scarlet, and eyes like slits. 'Yes.'

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(insert disclaimer here)

A/N: Much luv to my beta reader, Sarah, for reading this and editing! Also, this fic, if you can't already tell, is written in diary/letter format. Therefore, it is written TO someone, which means that all the inserts and past/present tenses are purposefull. Although, seeing as how I still have issues with past/present, if you discover anything dreadfully wrong, please let me know. This is supposed to be a two-parter, so the second part should be out sometime within the next two weeks. oh, and if the format on this screws up, know that I'm having issues with It won't let me post the story properly.

Sapphire


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